


If Things Were Different

by Dessa



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe, Force Visions, Gen, Meditation, Phoenix Nest Discord, Talking to Oneself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 01:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18928321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dessa/pseuds/Dessa
Summary: Ezra is really strong in the Force, but if things were different, would his strength have been affected?





	If Things Were Different

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline is sometime during the late first season (after Ezra gets his lightsaber, but before the ending).

A dark-haired youth settled in his quarters. He was being punished, he knew. His Master hadn't told him as such, but he knew. He knew, because this is how his Master punished him  _every_ time. " _Meditate and reflect on what just happened,_ " he'd say. And thus, here he was, meditating on what he'd done wrong.

 

~~~~~

 

" _Kanan~!_ " Ezra complained. "I don't get it!"

 

"I know you don't get it. That's why you need to meditate on it and find the solution."

 

"That doesn't make sense, though! If I don't know what I'm trying to find, how can I find it?!"

 

"That's why you  _meditate_ on it..." Kanan replied with a sigh.

 

"Fine, fine..." the boy grumbled, settling himself down and closing his eyes, taking in deep breaths.

 

~~~~~

 

When Ezra opened his eyes, he found himself in the same place where he'd spoken with Master Yoda. "Master Yoda? Are you here?" Ezra looked around, but didn't see the wizened Jedi.

 

"Why would Master Yoda be here?" a voice that Ezra found somewhat familiar asked. "I'm sure he has more important things to do than monitor Padawans meditating."

 

Ezra turned, and stared at the person he saw before him. It was...  _him_... Well, not exactly. This version(?) of him was more filled out than he was, and wearing dark trousers and a wrapped, sandy-colored tunic. Most notably, he wore his hair cropped, other than a long, thin braid hanging down one side.

 

The other him, at the same time, was studying Ezra. His hair wasn't cut, nor did he have a braid. And what was with that... flight suit? And vest? That was  _not_ proper Padawan attire. Let alone how skinny he was. But both of them could clearly see that despite their differences, their eyes were the same.

 

"Are you... me?" Ezra asked, breaking the ice.

 

The Padawan nodded uncertainly. "I think so, but I don't know how. We seem to be the same person, but other than the fact that there's no way we could meet ourselves, it doesn't seem like we've had the same lives."

 

"So, like... alternate selves? Is that possible?"

 

"My Master has taught me not to question things that the Force shows us."

 

"Your master?"

 

The Padawan nodded. "Caleb Dume. I've been training under him for a year now, since he chose me to be his Padawan. Do you know of him?"

 

Ezra shook his head. "No... in my... world, I guess? There really aren't any Jedi left. As far as we know, me and Kanan are the last ones left."

 

"Kanan?"

 

"Kanan Jarrus.  _My_ Master."

 

"It's not a name I'm familiar with, though with so many Knights and Masters out and about in the universe, it wouldn't surprise me that I don't know all of them."

 

"How-- how many Jedi  _are_ there, for you?" Ezra asked nervously.

 

"Over ten-thousand."

 

Ezra blanched. "Th-that many? And they were all--"

 

"They were all what? Why  _are_ there no Jedi in your world?"

 

Ezra grew silent. "They were killed."

 

"Killed? All of them? How?"

 

"By the clones."

 

"The Clones? You've got to be kidding! They're our stanchest supporters! I mean, Stance is Master Dume's best friend."

 

"Then Order 66 never happened?"

 

"What's that?"

 

"When the Clones turned against the Jedi, and slaughtered them."

 

The Padawan didn't reply.

 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

 

"What--what happened after that?"

 

"The Emperor took over, ruined everyone's lives."

 

"Ruined lives? How?"

 

"Forcing people to bend to his will. A-arresting anyone who spoke out against him..."

 

The Padawan caught the hitch in Ezra's voice. "Who was arrested?"

 

"My-- _our_ parents..."

 

This time it was the Padawan's turn to have a hitch in his voice. "O-our parents? You knew them?"

 

Ezra nodded. "Until they were taken away... when I was seven."

 

"And... your Master took you in?"

 

Ezra shook his head. "No... Kanan didn't find me until a few months ago."

 

"A few-- you lived on your own for almost 8 years?!"

 

Ezra nodded.

 

"No wonder you're so skinny," the Padawan mumbled.

 

"Hey, I heard that! I'm not skinny, I'm  _lithe_!"

 

The Padawan laughed, and Ezra joined in.

 

"So," Ezra asked finally, "I'm guessing you're meditating... what question are you supposed to be figuring out?"

 

The Padawan sighed. "I'm supposed to be 'reflecting'."

 

"On what?"

 

"Most likely, on why I should keep my mouth shut in front of Masters..."

 

Ezra could relate to that. He kept getting cuffed on the back of his head. "What did you say?"

 

"I asked why Jedi  _have_ to be able to do tons of stuff in the Force, if they're not good at it."

 

"But you've been training since you were a kid! How can you not be good at it." Dumb, Ezra was not. The only reason  _he_ would have asked that question would be if  _he_ couldn't do something.

 

"I just don't have the strength or talents. I can do the basic stuff, sure, but we haven't found anything I'm good at."

 

"What about connecting?"

 

"Connecting?"

 

"Yeah, that's what Kanan says I'm good at. Uh, really good at. He says I'm super strong at connecting."

 

"I've never really been good at connecting, but..." the Padawan trailed off, thinking for a moment. "You said you're lithe. How are your reflexes?"

 

"My reflexes? They're fine."

 

"You've always been able to get out of sticky spots, right? And subconsciously knew who you could and couldn't trust, or when there was trouble?"

 

"Yeah..."

 

The Padawan sighed. "You were using the Force, without even knowing it."

 

"Really?"

  
"That would be my guess. You were alone for almost 8 years, even without knowing that you could access the Force, and you used it to protect yourself. That's probably what strengthened your connections."

 

"You think so?"

 

"Yeah, it's something that I read about in the library. If you use the Force for something so much, you'll strengthen it, the same as a muscle. So many years of strengthening your senses, subconsciously connecting with everyone and everything around you, you just got really good at it."

 

"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess." Ezra paused for a second. His other self was pretty good at explaining things. "Wait... So Kanan wanted me to meditate to find a way to focus better... you got any ideas on that?"

 

The Padawan chuckled. "Well, there's something we have in common. I always had problems with focus, too. Tell me, have you heard of a touchstone?"

 

"A touchstone?"

 

"Yeah." He reached into his robes, and pulled out a smooth rock. "It doesn't have to be an actual stone, necessarily, but just something you can touch." He handed the rock to Ezra. "Hold that in your hand, and rub your thumb over it. Don't think about anything else, just the motion on the rock."

 

Ezra started rolling his thumb over the smooth surface of the stone, and could feel himself relaxing. "Wow, this really helps."

 

The Padawan nodded. "I bet your Master Jarrus has you control your breathing, right?"

 

"I hate that," Ezra responded.

 

"Yeah, me to. I mean, it's useful, because you're supposed to focus on each breath. But my mind always wanders. So I found the touchstone. I control my breathing, but focus on the stone, and it becomes much easier."

 

"That's awesome!" Ezra grinned. "You know, you made it really easy to understand. Both of these things. Maybe  _that'_ _s_ what you're good at!"

 

The Padawan thought about it. "Hmm, you may be right. I'll have to talk to Master Dume. I ask enough questions, so that I  _can_ understand things, only make sense that I can explain them."

 

"So we helped each other out, then."

 

"I suppose we did. It was good meeting you, Ezra Bridger."

 

"And you too, Ezra Bridger." Both of them smiled, and then the starry field faded

 

~~~~~

 

Ezra opened his eyes, back on the  _Ghost_. Kanan glanced over. "You were meditating for a while. Figure anything out?"

 

Ezra didn't know if he wanted to tell Kanan about what he'd seen. "Yeah, I need to find.." he trailed off, noticing that his hand was wrapped around something.

 

"Find what?"

 

Ezra opened his hand, revealing the smooth stone he'd gotten from his other self. "A touchstone," he replied, holding up the item for his Master to see.

 

"Hmm... Touchstones  _can_ help with meditation. We'll give it a try next time. Good job, kid."

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a headcanon, that Ezra's strength comes from his need to subconsciously connect to survive. The whole "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and all.
> 
> Also... to explain how this works AND IS TOTALLY CANON!
> 
> Filoni confirmed that when Ezra spoke with Yoda in the Temple, it was in the World Between Worlds. And it seemed to me that the portal to his parents that Palpy showed Ezra was an alternate reality. THEREFORE! Someone strong enough could connect with an alternate reality in the World Between Worlds. See, it totally works?


End file.
